Dial indicator



DecQZ, 1952 M. J. oLscHwANG 2,619,793

DIAL INDICATOR Filed Jan. 6, 1948 IN V EN TOR. MORR/S J. OLSCHWANG AHORA/lys Patented Dec. 2, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

This invention relates to dial indicators for use on various types of measuring and indicating apparatus and more particularly to dial indicators wherein two dials are associated, one of said dials being movable in order to successively display indicants produced by the cooperative relationship of markings on both dials when said movable dial is moved.

An object of the invention is to provide a dial of the character described which is easily readable to give indications of two quantities with but a single movable element; further objects will be apparent from the following specication,

By way of illustration, the device will be herein described as applied to clocks, but it will be understood that, as hereinafter pointed out, the invention may be applied to many other types of measuring and indicating apparatus.

It will therefore be understood that many changes and modifications can be made in the arrangement and marking of the dials herein disclosed without departing from the inventive concept which is as dened in the appendant claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a View of a fixed dial embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a view of a rotatable dial for use with a fixed dial shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view showing the dials, Figures 1 and 2 in combination;

Figure 4 is a modication of the invention; and

Figure 5 is a view showing a further modification of the invention,

The device herein described relates primarily to clocks and other time measuring devices, and employs a single rotating element to indicate both the hour and the minutes elapsed; the indication appearing on the face of the clock in a manner similar to that in the conventional timepiece having two rotating hands or indicators.

Referring to Figure 1, the numeral I0 indicates the face of a clock with appropriate hour markings indicated by the numeral II thereon, and Figure 2 shows a second dial I2 forming an indicating element. These dials may be made of a thin sheet of metal, plastic composition, or other suitable opaque material. It will be noted that the indicator I2 is provided with twelve equally spaced slots I3 which form radially disposed indicants, the angular displacements between the center lines of the slots being equal to X. On a radial line, midway between two of the slots, an arrow I4 is painted or otherwise indicated` Spaced midway between the radial centers of the slots I3, an inner circle of holes forming indicants are placed as shown at I5, to cooperate with indicants 20 to be presently described on dial I0.

On the outer portion of the dial I0 on each side of the vertical axis and displaced therefrom by an angle X plus X 13h15 E is shown. An inner circle of indicant dots indicated by the numeral 20 equal in size to the holes I5 as shown in Figure 2 and located on a radius equal to that of the said holes I5, are located on the ldial I0. These dots are located on the same radial centers as the large dots I6.

Assume that the indicator I2, Figure 2 is placed over the dial Figure l in a position such that its center coincides with that of the dial and the arrow I4 of the indicator points to the indicants II at "12 oclock. A check will show that none of the radial markings I'I, I9 on the dial I0 Will be visible through the slots I3 in the opaque indicator I2. The inner circle of dots 20 will, however, be visible through the small holes I5 in the indicator I2. This will indicate that the arrow is exactly on the hour.

Now rotate the indicator I2 clockwise by an angle equal to the hour will be fully visible. If the indicator is again rotated by an angle equal to the marker at 1 oclock will be hidden and the marker I9 at 2 oclock will be fully visible, indicating 10 minutes past the hour."

which* is attached to dialV 30.

Figure 3 shows the rotating indicator assembled on the hour shaft 2I of a clock and indicating quarter past twelve. The arrow I4 indicates the hour on indicants II and the radial marker I9 the minutes on one of indicants I9. As the indicator turns, a new marker I'I or I9 becomes visible every ive minutes, all the markers appearing in turn in the course of an hour.

When the arrow is again on the hour, no radialmarker will-be visible andthe smallv dots 29 will again appear through holes rI5. During 'the period of transition from one slot to the next, a portion of each of two adjacent radial markers will be seen, permitting fractions of iive'minute periods to be estimated with greater accuracy than is ordinarily necessary.

For the dots indicating the .on thehour position, any other marking which will appear at the proper instant mai7 be substituted or this-feature may be eliminated entirely.

i .Many modications in designV are possible.. and some of these are shown in Figure 4. Elongated holes 22 forming indicants may be substituted for rithefslots I3 .in the rotating element 23.

' The yrotating'element 231may'be made of glass or other' transparent material,which:has been rendered opaque, except for transparent windows 22 spaced :so as toserve in place of slots or holes. Thefindicating'arrow 24 may bepainted on the stationary dial 25, and numbers indicatedl by numeral 23 and indicating the hours are printed on the rotatingelement. The radial markings indicated by numeral 2'I may be separately numbered, either fromV l to'12, or in such manner as fto'indicate the passage of fve minutes between each marking. Any additional' suitable on .the hour indicating arrangement' such as holesY I5 andA dots-29, Figures 1 andA 2 mayv befincorporated "if desired.

The radial markings such as I'i, Figure' ifarer radially spaced the same as those shown in Figure 1 at I'I and Figure'. 4 also has the markings I9 of Figure 1.

Figure' 5 showsv another modification `With fthis arrangement, the slots or holes 28 are formed in the stationary dialv 29,.'and the rotating elevvment shownl in dotted lines Aat 30, properly marked with equally .spaced radial lines indicatedat. 3|, rotatesbehindthe dialf29, the radialm'arkings coming'into .View at the' proper moments.

'' In lieu of Ythis arrangement the dial 29 :(or any of fthe other` 'stationary .dials V.herein disclosed) maybe painted 'on the glass lens cover or/crystal '-of-a clock `orfwatch,.the radial markings, in each fcase, Vappearing transparent against van'. opaque "background with the` indicator such as 39 and l33 i rotating 'l directly behind the` lens and visible through aftransparent portion.

The center of' dial 29 is cut away ati 32! (or is transparent) so as to displayythe indicator 3| Dial 30', is of course, attached to the hour shaft 2I.

The hour indicantsf 34 are printed about the path of travel of the Vindicator 33 on dial 29.

The minute indicants 35 may be placed at the i louter Yends of the slots 23 on .dial 29.

` The operation of the modification shown in Figures land 5,v so far as the progressive'operation of the slotsr 22 or 28 are concerned, vis the same as described in connection with the device, Figures 1 to 3 inclusive.

While this description has been based on the .use of .-the' invention in a clock, it is obvious that nitfwill'nd' application'in' many othertypes of measuring or .indicating gauges;- etc.

provided to indicate any desired number of divisions of a circle and corresponding fractions thereof, the relationship and angular magnitudes being stated by the following formula, wherein N is the number of divisions:

-Angle between divisions (For rotating dial) vWidth 'oi' radial marks fiO (For rotating and stationary. dials) Angular distances from zero point .to center-.line of first radial mark and last `radialmarks o 1 2 180 (Zvi-N2) (Stationary dial) Angular distance between centerlines of'adjacent radial .marks other than. .first and..last

marks mit@ The term .indicants as used .throughout v,this

` specication and the accompanyingv claims is em- V.the entire second dialsaid quantity gures' and indicant displaying means being-incooperating relationship'whereby upon: rotation of one of said dials aA plurality lof signicantly related .combination indications -may-be observedf. at

spaced-apart locations on said dials, saidzcombination indications being indicative -ofwhole f numbers and related fractions'said first: dialincluding means visibly and permanentlyvbonnecting certain of said indicants with. certain of said gures whereby said single setof iigures may be. representative both of` said wholeinum- Y bers and saidfractons.

2. The indicator as claimed .in claim'. lrfwherein said first dial is xed and .theindicants-.thereon include a pluralityof markings: vatl equal :angular distances.

3. An indicator'rincludinga -flxedg dial having an.- aperture therein and a iirst prcgressiveseries of quantity-indicating indicants arranged-circumferentially on its face about` said aperture, a rotatable dialunderlying isaid..fixed dial; a

pointer-indicant carried by said rotatable dial and Visible through the aperture in the fixed dial and adapted to successively point to said first indicants as said rotatable dial is rotated, said rotatable dial having a plurality of radially spaced indicants thereon lying below said fixed dial, said xed dial also having therein a plurality of radially spaced apertures adapted to successively display said radially spaced indicants on said rotatable dial, and a second progressive series of quantity-indicating indicants on said fixed dial spaced apart from said rst indicants with said apertures lying therebetween. 4. A clock face comprising a xed dial having hour and minute intervals marked thereon in two separate concentric circles, a plurality of radially spaced openings in said dial located in the space between said concentric circles of marks, and an hour dial cooperatively associated with said xed dial and having an hour pointer cooperating with the inner hour marks on said fixed dial and a plurality of marks adapted to be successively displayed through said radially spaced openings to indicate minutes. 5. In an indicator, a dial having a plurality of angularly spaced primary indicants thereon indicating N divisions, the angle between said divisions being a plurality of secondary indicants respectively related to said primary indicants, the angular distances from zero point to the center lines or the rst and last secondary indicants being the angular distance between center lines of said other adjacent secondary indicants being N slots of equal angular spacing and angular slot widths of 6 7. In an indicator, a dial having a plurality of angularly spaced primary indicants thereon indicating N divisions, the angle between said divisions being a plurality of secondary indicants respectively related to said primary indicants, the angular distance from a pre-determined point on said dial to the center line of each secondary indicant adjacent said point being o l l) 180 (Nd-N2 the angular distance between center lines of said other adjacent secondary indicants being o l l 360 (NJFNZ) and a relatively movable cooperative dial having N slots of equal angular spacing.

8. In an indicator, a dial having a plurality of angularly spaced primary indicants thereon extending throughout a predetermined angle 6 and comprising N divisions, the angle between said divisions being degrees, a plurality of secondary indicants respectively related to said primary indicants, the angular distance from a pre-determined point on said dial to the center line of each secondary indicant adjacent said point being the angular distance between center lines of said other adjacent secondary indicants being and a relatively movable cooperative dial having N slots of equal angular spacing.

MORRIS J. OLSCHWANG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,293,459 Ewing et al Aug. 18, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 495,047 Germany Aug. 19, 1933 800,890 France May 11, 1936 

